BALFOUR Beatty has completed work on a £4 million road improvement project on the A78 at Inverkip.
New signalised junctions have been installed at Main Street and Kip Marina to address long-running road safety issues on the trunk road and a T-junction has been created at Brueacre to open up access to the former Inverkip Power Station site. The site is earmarked for up to 650 new homes and could create over 500 jobs, the council said.
The Inverkip project is the third major Glasgow City Region City Deal funded developments being delivered by Inverclyde Council with the help of £3.6m of external funding – £1.8 million each from the UK and Scottish governments. The local authority is contributing £570,000.
Councillor Michael McCormick, Inverclyde Council’s convener of environment and regeneration, said, “This is a transformational project delivering important road safety improvements on the busy A78 trunk road while creating the required infrastructure to pave the way for a major housing development at the former Inverkip Power Station site, which would also create hundreds of jobs.
“These improvements have been years in the planning and much talked about so to be here now marking the completion of the project is a significant moment.
“It’s thanks to financial support from both the UK and Scottish governments and partnership working with our partners and contractors that we’ve been able to deliver these upgrades.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while these important works were carried out and for understanding the long-term aim of improving road safety and laying the foundations for further investment in Inverclyde.”
The Inverkip A78 project is the third of three major Inverclyde City Deal developments and follows on from the delivery of the £20 million Ocean Terminal visitor centre in 2023 and £11 million worth of upgrades to Inchgreen Marine Park, which were both majority funded by the Scottish and UK governments.
Deputy first minister Kate Forbes added, “The completion of this project paves the way for the transformation of the Inverkip Power Station site into a thriving coastal community, featuring hundreds of new homes.
“It is supported by our £520 million investment in the Glasgow City Region Deal. The deal aims to create 29,000 jobs in the region by boosting housing, transport, business growth and innovation across Greater Glasgow and Clyde.”
UK Government Scotland office minister Kirsty McNeill commented, “It is great news that this important road safety and regeneration project has been completed.
“Backed by £1.8 million UK Government funding – part of our £520 million commitment to the Glasgow City Region Deal – this improved road infrastructure will not only make journeys safer and smoother but also renew the economy by helping deliver hundreds of jobs and homes.
“In total, the UK Government is investing more than £2 billion in dozens of important local and regional projects in Scotland, creating opportunities the length and breadth of the country.”
Work on the Inverkip project started at the end of March 2025, with the new junctions having been completed on ahead of schedule. In addition, trunk road operator Amey, on behalf of Transport Scotland, has also delivered phased resurfacing works, further improving the route for road users.
Stephen Hardie, portfolio director for Balfour Beatty, said, “This project has demonstrated the real impact that well-planned infrastructure can have for local communities, helping to unlock a major regeneration opportunity for Inverkip.
“Our teams have worked diligently to deliver the scheme efficiently and safely, and we are proud to have contributed to a project that will bring lasting economic and social benefits to the area.”
The road infrastructure improvements are aimed at paving the way for redevelopment of the former Inverkip Power Station site and potentially deliver, 650 residential properties, 400 construction jobs and 120 jobs in follow-on development, £28 million construction gross value added (GVA) impact, and £4 million annual ongoing operational gross value-added impact for Inverclyde and £6 million for city region.
